Two Women And Their Dogs Rescued By Wardens From Cutler Trail

Two women and their dogs had to be rescued after underestimating the difficulty of a trail in Cutler.

Mark Latti of the Maine Warden Service says 53-year-old Staci McCarthy and 73-year-old Margaret Ross, both of Pembroke, set out on the Bold Coast Trail in Cutler shortly after 2:00 Sunday afternoon with their dogs. About three miles in, however, the women realized that they had underestimated the length and difficulty of the trip, and that they weren't going to make it back to their car at the trailhead in Cutler before dark.

The women had no food, water, or flashlights with them for the hike. But McCarthy had her cellphone, which she used to call 911, just after 5:00 Sunday evening. Game Wardens were able to identify the location of the woman shortly before the cell phone battery died. They tried to rescue the hikers by watercraft, with help from the Maine Marine Patrol, but the strong tidal surf made a water rescue impossible.

Instead, Game Wardens, Marine Patrol Officers, Washington County Sheriff's Deputies, and Cutler Fire Volunteers hiked to the women's location and helped them back over the icy trail system. The women were returned in good health to their vehicle at around 2:00 Monday morning.